Flexibility Gives Nanothread Brain Probes Long-Term Durability

For over two decades, electrodes implanted in the brain have made it possible to electrically measure the activity of individual neurons. While the technology has continued to progress over the years, the implanted probes have continued to suffer from poor recording ability brought on by biocompatibility issues, limiting their efficacy over the long term. It turns out that size matters: In this case, the smaller the better. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed neural probes made from a flexible nanoelectronic thread (NET) . These probes are so thin and tiny that when they are implanted, they don’t trigger the human body to create scar tissue, which limits their recording efficacy. Without that hindrance, the threadlike probes can work effectively for months, making it possible to follow the long-term progression of such neurovascular and neurodeg...